The MADRC Neuropathology Core (NPC) provides systematic and standardized collection, pathologic characterization, storage, and distribution of human post-mortem material appropriate for the research requirements of investigators affiliated with the MADRC. The overall goal of the NPC is to facilitate research by MADRC and other investigators probling the dementias by providing access to human post-mortem material that is both clinically and pathologically well characterized using state-of-art techniques. NPC services support the needs of local researchers, as well as cooperative research across ADCs. Working in tandem with the Clinical Core, the NPC assists subjects and families of subjects followed by the Clinical Core with pre-arrangements for brain donatioa The NPC is responsible for rapid collection of post-mortem material, standardized preparation of fixed and frozen tissues for subsequent pathologic characterization and distribution to investigators, and storage of fixed and frozen material in brain bank. The NPC performs extensive pathologic characterization of harvested post-mortem material, distributes material to investigators, transmits data to the Data Management and Statistics Core, prepares post-mortem human material for investigators, assists investigators with use of human post-mortem material, and assists investigators with special staining methods. In a new initiative, the NPC is also assisting investigators with histologic evaluation of animal models of dementias. The NPC interacts extensively with other components of the MADRC. The NPC depends on the Administrative Core for crucial adminstrative oversight and support. The NPC works closely with the Clinical Core, Education Core, and Data Management and Statistics Core for subject recruitment, subject characterization, and data archiving. The NPC serves all projects, providing key histology services for Project 1, and crucial pathologic information for Projects 2 and 3. The NPC is a major resource for study of dementia on our campus and has been used by a number of investigators at other centers to further investigations of dementias and other neurodegenerations. The NPC will adhere to standard neuropathology procedures being developed by a neuropathology working group once those procedures have been issued.